Dolch Primer Sight Words
- Kindergarten
- 52 words
- Common Core RF.K.3c
The Dolch primer list is the second sight word list, usually learned in kindergarten after the pre-primer words. Its 52 words include some of the most important little words in English, like are, was, they, have, what and there.
The 52 Dolch primer words
In alphabetical order. Teachers often present these words in lowercase, the way they appear in books.
- all
- am
- are
- at
- ate
- be
- black
- brown
- but
- came
- did
- do
- eat
- four
- get
- good
- have
- he
- into
- like
- must
- new
- no
- now
- on
- our
- out
- please
- pretty
- ran
- ride
- saw
- say
- she
- so
- soon
- that
- there
- they
- this
- too
- under
- want
- was
- well
- went
- what
- white
- who
- will
- with
- yes
About the Dolch primer list
The primer list is a step up from the pre-primer list. There are more words, and more of them have tricky spellings. Several are words kids mix up because they look alike: was and saw, there and they, want and went.
Many primer words are still easy to sound out: at, did, get, but, ran, on, yes, will, well and must all use short vowels. Others become regular as soon as a child learns one more pattern, like ee or ow. Teach those with phonics and save the memory work for the heart words.
Kindergarten teachers usually start this list in the winter or spring. By the end of kindergarten, many children know most of the pre-primer and primer words, about 90 words in all. If your child is still working on them in 1st grade, that's common too.
Heart words in this list
These words have a part that doesn't follow the sounds your child knows yet. Sound out the rest, then draw a heart over the tricky part and learn it by heart. See what are sight words? for the 5-step method.
| Word | The tricky part |
|---|---|
| are | says ar; e is silent |
| was | a says short u |
| they | ey says long a |
| there | ere says air |
| what | a says short u |
| who | w is silent; o says oo |
| do | o says oo |
| have | a is short even with the e |
| four | our says or |
| our | sounds like hour |
| want | a says short o |
| pretty | e says short i |
Words to sound out instead of memorizing: at, but, did, get, on, ran, well, will, yes, must, black, and, with a vowel team or silent e, eat, came, ride, white, soon. If your child knows the phonics pattern, teach these with phonics. It's faster, and the same skill works on thousands of other words.
Sentences to read
Every sentence below uses words from this list or earlier lists. Read them together, or let your child read them on their own once the words are familiar.
- They are my friends.
- She saw a black and brown dog.
- What is in the box?
- I want to ride my new bike.
- There was a cat under the bed.
- We ate four good cakes.
- Who will come out with me?
- Please say yes!
- He ran into the house.
- I like that white hat.
How to practice the primer list
- Pick five words a week. At five a week, the whole list takes about 11 weeks. Mix one or two heart words with easier ones.
- Sound out first. For regular words, have your child blend the sounds. For heart words, sound out the regular parts and point to the tricky part.
- Flash daily. Use the flashcards from the PDF for one minute a day. A word counts as known when your child reads it in under three seconds, three days in a row.
- Find them in books. Before reading a book together, ask your child to spot this week's words on a page.
- Write them. Spelling a word out loud while writing it makes it stick much faster than reading alone.
Keep a "know it" pile and a "still learning" pile. Kids love watching the "know it" pile grow, and it shows you exactly which words need more practice.
Quiz: Dolch primer words
Read each sentence and tap the word that fits. The speaker button reads the sentence aloud, without giving away the answer.
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1.They _____ my friends.
Show answer
are: They are my friends.
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2.She _____ a cake.
Show answer
ate: She ate a cake.
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3._____ is your name?
Show answer
What: What is your name?
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4.I _____ a new bike.
Show answer
have: I have a new bike.
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5.The cat is _____ the bed.
Show answer
under: The cat is under the bed.
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6._____ help me.
Show answer
Please: Please help me.
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7.He _____ to school.
Show answer
went: He went to school.
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8.I _____ a dog yesterday.
Show answer
saw: I saw a dog yesterday.
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9.Do you _____ milk?
Show answer
like: Do you like milk?
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10.We have _____ cats.
Show answer
four: We have four cats.
Printable list and flashcards
The free PDF has 6 US Letter pages: a checklist of all 52 words with a box to tick for each word your child knows, and 5 pages of large flashcards to cut out, 12 to a page. Print on card stock if you can.
More sight word lists
See every list, the 1,000 most common words and how sight words fit with phonics on the sight words page. For picture words to practice alongside this list, try the Dolch nouns. For the skills around this list, see the Kindergarten page and the matching phonics: short vowels.
Last reviewed: November 11, 2026
Questions parents ask
How many Dolch primer words are there?
52 words, from all, am and are to will, with and yes.
What grade is the Dolch primer list?
Kindergarten, usually after the pre-primer list.
Which primer words do kids mix up?
was and saw, there and they, want and went, and on and no. Point under the first letter before reading.
What comes after the primer list?
The Dolch 1st grade list, 41 words like of, could, once, were and know.
Are the Dolch words still used?
Yes. Many US schools still use the Dolch lists, often alongside the Fry lists, to choose which common words to practice first.